History
While Holland is the true home of the Netherland Dwarf, nevertheless the Hermelin rabbit, a red-eyed white rabbit originally known in Germany as the Polish rabbit, is the major foundation stock for today’s Netherland Dwarf. Hermelins were recognized in Holland in 1907.
A dedicated core of five Dutchmen, led by Jan Meyering, worked for 30 years breeding the all-white Hermelins with local native wild rabbits, as well as with various other domestic breeds (large and small). The goal was to standardize a very small rabbit that would be available and accepted in a plethora of colors and varieties. Netherland Dwarfs were officially recognized in Holland in 1940, just days before Germany's occupation of Holland. Just seventeen Netherland Dwarfs survived World War II. In 1947, several English breeders were gifted with nine offspring: one agouti, two black, two blue, one sable, one blue-eyed white, and two red-eyed white. In only three years, the British Rabbit Council (BRC) recognized the new breed. Netherland Dwarfs flew out of British hutches to meet the intense demand for these tiny yet bold little rabbits.
It was not until 1965 that the Netherland Dwarf arrived in the US. The purpose for the original imports was to improve the Polish rabbit breed in the US. The same fascination with Netherlands soon began to consume Americans. The ARBA recognized the Netherland Dwarf in 1969.
Today, the dwarf rabbit is the most popular rabbit breed across the globe. The breed is recognized in every country that has a national rabbit club. In the United States, they are recognized in 37 varieties, with three more varieties under consideration.
The UK recognizes all these varieties. Plus, under "Other Varieties", a fifth group, the BRC allows "Any Other Color ... so long as it conforms to the normal pattern of accepted colours of other breeds." In the UK, the Netherland Dwarf is showable in virtually any already accepted color.
Read more about this topic: Dwarf Rabbit
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